Two Races, One Destiny
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: What if Sonja hadn't named Lucian as the father? What if Viktor didn't find out until after it was born? Why do Sonja and Selene look so alike? A slightly-AU 'what-if'
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Underworld, or any of the associated characters._

_Summary: What if Viktor hadn't seen Lucian and Sonja together? What if Sonja had never named a father, and Viktor had waited until the child was born?_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

If I do not know the identity of my daughter's lover, then it is because she had taken great pains to keep it secret, so I will allow it to remain so, as long as she is more diligent in her responsibilities. Right now, I will overlook much, so as not to risk her health.

A vampire woman somehow becoming pregnant! Such a thing has never happened before!

A child of my bloodline, unique among immortals. To guide and rule over such a child, I will forego questioning the other half of its heritage. If Sonja is with-holding the name of the father for fear that I will be angry, perhaps she will relent after the birth, or perhaps I will recognize him in the child's features or mannerisms.

* * *

The child has been named Selene, though Sonja had been wavering between that and Irina, for my late wife, and Astrid, for the stars that light a Vampire's waking hours.

Her eyes are larger than Sonja's or mine, her features a little sharper, her skin not quite as fair, but nothing that I could recognize from any in my Coven.

Perhaps the father was a human, a brief moment of distraction, for Selene displays few vampire traits, other than slightly sharper senses and a level of intelligence beyond what her age would suggest. But perhaps she is merely precocious, as her mother was. Any child of Sonja's, of my line, is bound to be special.

* * *

Lucian, the first Lycan, had held a strange fascination with Sonja since they first met, perhaps because they were the only two children. I wonder why he would show similar interest in my grandchild, but perhaps it is only the same interest and wonder that everyone else shows. I have never cared over-much for deciphering a Lycan slave's though processes.

Perhaps he knew that she was special, because Sonja begged for him to guard her as she gave birth, fearing that on the full moon, with the Coven distracted by this miracle, Werewolves may take this chance to destroy us. Lucian has always been loyal, so I allowed it. Men, regardless of species, have no place in a birthing chamber, and I admit that Sonja's cries pained me too much to be near without trying to burst in and demand that the midwives do something to ease it.

Though if the head midwife does not watch her tone, after ordering me out with the statement that I would be worse than useless and only in the way, she may well become part of the celebratory feast, and not in a position to enjoy it!

* * *

Selene was just beyond her first birthday when I discovered the truth.

We had been ambushed in a Lycan attack, the rest of our small party killed, and while Sonja was uninjured, I was not so fortunate. Unthinkingly, she offered me her blood, to sustain me until we reached the castle, and unwillingly, I saw the awful, damning, truth.

Selene was the product of my daughter and her Lycan lover.

It explained why she was always agitated around the full moon, why she was not as repulsed by Lycans as the rest of us, why she was more human than vampire, as Lycans prefer to be in their human forms whenever possible, and both of our races were human once. It explained Lucian's fascination with the child, not fascination of a unique child, but the same amazement I felt every time I looked at my daughter, knowing that such a precious being had come from me.

But Tanis was also with us, and tasted a spilled drop before either of us could stop him. He fled before either of us could bring him down, and we both knew that he would tell the council. The Coven Historian, Tanis documented everything, and even if we killed him, he would have left something written down that someone would inevitably find.

I had not become the ruler of our coven by being an idiot, or a slow-thinker. I had not risen to power as a human by not being able to conceive or adapt plans in a moment.

Amelia was not the only female on the Council, and many of the members had been parents themselves. Several held a special kind of hatred for the Werewolves because of a lost child.

Depending on how much Tanis had seen, I could claim that love for Selene had motivated Sonja to help Lucian escape, knowing that his loyalty to and friendship with her might convince him to make sure that the Lycans and Werewolves would never touch her daughter. No one would know of their affair, though it would be a long time before I fully trusted my daughter again, and there would have to be some form of punishment.

As long as Selene did not show signs of her father's heritage, no one would need to know, and my daughter and grand-daughter would be safe.

* * *

But it was not to be.

The coven believed my tale that Sonja had acted for fear of her child's safety, and regarded Tanis's story of a love affair between her and Lucian as attempted revenge for Sonja's repeated refusals of _his_ affection. But with Lycan attacks growing more and more frequent, there was only so much that the Council were willing to accept.

Selene was judged as innocent, as not even the most jaded of us believed that a one-year-old could be guilty of anything more than charming people with the instinctive softening that all feel upon seeing an infant.

But Sonja…

Sonja they judged as guilty of betraying her Coven, a crime punishable by death. Sonja was my daughter, and they judged me as too close to the situation to be given a voice at the trial, so all I could do was talk to as many as possible beforehand, trying to convince them.

* * *

But it did not end there. Though I was denied a chance to speak, I was still the head of the Coven, and I was therefore responsible for carrying out punishment. They demanded that I kill my own daughter.

I managed to delay until we found Lucian, so that he might share her fate, but I had not counted on that damned Lycan finding out on his own, and charging in to rescue them.

Many of the Council wished to witness the execution, to make sure that I did not orchestrate a rescue attempt. I could not. It was all that I managed to walk calmly from the room and take Selene from her nurse, who also had planned for the child to witness the price for treachery.

I took Selene to Sonja's rooms, trying to silence my ears against the screams. Sonja's screams of pain and terror, followed by Lucian's screams of grief and denial, echoed through the castle, and I bowed my head in silent agony.

As if knowing that something was wrong (slaves and prisoners screamed all the time, especially when they were culled for their blood, that we might feed) Selene wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, offering what small comfort she could.

I knew then what I had to do.

* * *

There were too many people who listened to Tanis, and Selene would be under suspicion her entire life, for fear that she would repeat her mother's betrayal. No one believed that Lycans could be trusted to keep their word.

Hair could be dyed, and a peasant family could be persuaded to take in a foundling, especially in exchange for money or livestock. I could claim that Selene had been killed by Lycans in revenge for Sonja's death, foster her out to a family unconnected to us, and keep an eye on Selene from afar.

The family I selected had another daughter near Selene's age, as like enough in appearance that they could pass as sisters. The father had a promising career as a budding architect and mason, though he lacked the connections to rise as he should. I would recommend him to some of the more prominent lords, and Selene will grow up with the life she deserved.

* * *

When Selene was six, I could no longer stay away, and hired her adopted father to build a prison for William, the first Werewolf. I included Selene's supposed sister in my doting while their father was in my employ, basking in what little attention I could offer.

Two years passed that way, before I had to once more bid farewell.

* * *

I next saw her when she was twenty, when I turned her.

I discovered the circumstances by accident, when a merchant had been laughing at one of his fellows. Selene had inherited her mother's spirit, and turned down a number of suitors, claiming that she would marry by her own will or not at all, despite the fact that her younger 'sister' was already a wife and mother.

More worrisome was the fact that her 'family' had somehow developed the belief that Lycans were not the rabid animals that most portrayed them as. Lucian had also managed to locate his daughter, and was slowly cultivating them. I could not allow it to continue.

The loss of her family was regrettable, but necessary. I told Selene that Lycans were responsible for the act, but that I would care for her.

The Coven did not question that I would take in a girl that was a bittersweet reminder of my beloved Sonja, and I had my grand-daughter, if not my daughter, with me once more.

I would not make the same mistakes again.

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_A/N: I'm sorry, but does no-one else think that it is a bit too convenient that Selene looks so much like Sonja, that her father was the one to build William's prison? Look at the first and third movies, and see how similar Viktor acts toward Selene and Sonja. He openly admits that he loves Selene as a daughter, and in the flashback of when her family was killed, Selene accepted Viktor's comfort a bit too easily for them to be complete strangers._

_I explored the relationship between Sonja and Viktor in my other Underworld fic, "**The Pebble That Started The Avalanche'** if anyone cares to read it._

_Anyway, it's just a small conspiracy theory that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it, so any constructive criticism is very welcome, even if it is only to tell me that I am a paranoid idiot seeing connections that aren't there._

_Thanks, Nat._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Underworld, or any of the associated characters. Isn't it obvious?  
Summary: See Previous Chapters_

_A/N: I was going to leave it at one chapter, but one of my reviewers asked me to keep going._

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

Why?

Why and how did this happen?

I was glad when Selene woke me. Kraven has always been self-serving, even if he prefers the term 'Ambitious', and Selene feared that he had formed an alliance with the Lycans. Also, while his interest in my grand-daughter had been amusing the last time I woke, if had transformed into fixation and a sense of entitlement, when Selene had repeatedly made it clear that she was not interested.

But that only leads to more problems.

My Awakening, out of turn and by one who lacks the proper training, has left me disoriented, which can lead to great errors in judgement. My distraction only became worse when I saw the signs that I had missed in Sonja: all of the indications of a girl who found herself falling in love for the first time. Not a good thing in a Death Dealer.

Her love had been a human until last night, when he was the casualty of a werewolf attack, and bitten by a Lycan.

So far, he has done no wrong, but he will not be able to control himself when the full moon rises and he changes for the first time. It pains me to have to act, this time, as it did not pain me to order the death of Lucian, when his betrayal came to light.

Of all the things for Selene to inherit from her father, did an attraction and loyalty to Lycans really have to be one of them?

Just once, I would like to awaken to a peaceful coven. Do Markus and Amelia have to deal with this when it is their turn to rule? Certainly they never had to deal with a lovesick grand-daughter who fell for a Lycan.

Then again, Markus wasn't exactly indifferent to his brother, and would have done anything to find a way to free him if he thought he could get away with it. Another reason to eliminate those who had raised Selene.

But I cannot show mercy to this Michael. The Death Dealers do not get along with those more interested in politics and pleasure, and if there were not already whispers about Selene having Lycan sympathies, then they would be sure to start soon. I would not put it past Kraven to encourage or start such rumours, to draw attention away from himself.

If Selene is the one to kill him, there will be no way for anyone to accuse her without being laughed at. It will hurt her, the last thing I wish for, but she has only known him for a few days. She will recover, and more importantly, I will not be forced to command her death. I love her as I did Sonja, and I will not lose another daughter.

* * *

Selene is hurt and confused, feeling betrayed at what Kraven 'revealed' to her. If she does not get a satisfying explanation, I will lose her as surely as I did Sonja, if not more-so, because I know that Sonja loved me until the end. I was grateful, because the crippling grief I felt was hard enough, and Selene and revenge were all that dragged me out of it. I do not know if I could have born Sonja's hatred on top of her death.

I hold out my arm, vein bared. Blood tells the truth, and I am trained. I can show her my actions, my reasons, rather than random images that will have her jumping to conclusions.

I thank whatever Gods may exist that she trusts me this far, or is so insistent on answers. I organize my memories as she bites down, and see them as she does.

_The love I felt for Sonja, the wonder as she held a newborn Selene in her arms…_

_The shock when I discovered my daughter's lover, the fear and desperate plan when we knew that there was no way to keep it a secret…_

_The crippling grief when the Council decided on Sonja's death, the resolve to keep her daughter, my grand-child safe, even if it meant giving her up…_

_The adoration when I hired her father as an excuse to see her again, no matter if I could not openly acknowledge her…_

_The concern when I discovered that her adopted family were sympathetic to Lycans…_

_The knowledge that a quick death by my hands would be better than the lengths Markus would go to for his brother, the risk that he would harm the two girls to make their parents talk…_

_The truth that Michael had done no harm thus far, that if he had not been bitten, I would not mind bringing him into our coven, but the worry that a relationship with him would bring both of them to the attention of the remaining Lycans, especially if her belief in Lucian's survival was true..._

_I did not know if Lucian would recognize her as his daughter (she was no more than a toddler when he saw her last) or as an opportunity for revenge for Sonja..._

The confusion was gone, for Selene did have a rather pragmatic attitude, but conflict remained. She loved this Michael, and would not see him die. Perhaps there was an alternative, as there had not been with Sonja and Lucian.

If he truly was the descendent of Alexander Corvinus, then perhaps he would have a greater control over his Lycan nature. Lucian had restrained himself for years out of love for Sonja, it was not impossible that Michael would do the same. Selene was a hybrid, and as stable as a trained soldier ever was. With the potential already in his veins, there was a chance that her lover would be the same.

It was against my better judgement, but the alternative was to lose another daughter.

They would be hunted, scorned, but Selene could take care of herself, and it was never a good idea to get a doctor angry at you.

Again, I bid farewell to one I loved more than life, wishing we had more time. There would be consequences, but with the coven in ruins thanks to Kraven, no one would question it too closely if I claimed to have not been able to find them.

I embraced Selene, forcing myself not to glare at Michael. "Be careful, my child. Be discreet, but keep in contact when you can. I want to know that you are well."

Selene is very difficult to surprise, so I feel a small flicker of pleasure at the shock in her eyes. She breaks formality, breaks the hard exterior she built to protect herself in my absence, and embraces me tightly, as she did when I turned her, whispering her thanks.

I hear shouts and the sound of fighting. Reinforcements are on the way.

Selene hauls her lover up and supports him as they flee through the tunnels, away from the turmoil. I silently wish them the best as they disappear from sight, before turning back to face the sounds of battle.

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_A/N: I warned you that it was going to be AU, didn't I?_

_To everyone who didn't like the ending and wanted a more evil Viktor, go check out my other story '__The Pebble That Started The Avalanche'__. Even if you did like this ending, go check it out anyway, because I would love some feedback._

_Thanks, Nat._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Underworld movies (any of them, just to be clear), or any of the associated characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing Fanfiction, and my bank account would be a lot fuller._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters_

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**

My earlier words have come back to bite me.

I had said that Markus and Amelia never had to deal with the kind of trouble I did, but it appears that when Kraven killed the informant, his blood ran down into Markus's chamber.

So, not only do I need to find a way to have a frank discussion about my Grand-daughter with Lucian, but I have to deal with having two elders awake at the same time, and Markus and I have never seen eye-to-eye since I had William imprisoned.

Well, Selene used up the readily-available supply of blood when she awoke me, and it will take time to get more. I have time to find Lucian, and if Kraven likes his continued existence, he will take me to him.

With the sheer chaos of vampires and werewolves fighting, it is easy to slip through to find Lucian, speaking the only words that will stop him from killing me on sight. "Your daughter lives."

Just as mention of Sonja was always able to stop me in my tracks, so the mention of Selene make Lucian freeze. He motions for his Lycans to withdraw, and a glare from me sends Kraven scurrying away. "Explain."

This is not going to be pretty, but for Sonja's sake, and Selene's, I will try. "I intended to keep your relationship secret when I discovered it after a Lycan ambush, but Tanis also found out, and told the Council. They judged me too close to be impartial, but as Elder I was made to carry out the execution. Nothing could have saved Sonja, but killing her was the only way I could save Selene."

Lucian was clearly weighing the benefit of killing me vs hearing more. "What did you do to her? Where is she now?"

Speaking of those events was painful. "I dyed her hair and fostered her out to a well-off family. Her foster-father was the one to build William's prison, and I brought her back when she was grown." The next words pained me to speak. "She is very much like her mother, right down to the defiance in pursuit of what she thinks is right."

It was the closest I would come to a peace offering, but Lucian accepted it with the barest hint of a nod. "But you wouldn't be here to talk if Selene's defiance hadn't placed her in some kind of trouble. What happened, and where is she?"

Now came the tricky bit. "She has her mother's appalling taste in lovers, too. That hybrid of yours, Michael. I let them escape, so Selene is probably on her way to one of the Safehouses, but I don't know where."

Lucian relaxes slightly, fighting back his instinctive disbelief. Though he had not acknowledged it the last time we fought, he knew that we had both raged with grief over Sonja's death. "Good." He pauses for a moment. "Was she happy? With your coven or with her foster-family, I mean."

I nod, slowly. "I saw her when I commissioned her father to build William's prison, and she was happy then. She was as happy as can be expected for someone dodging Kraven's infatuation while she was with the Coven, though the last century has been Amelia's rule, so I had not seen her until yesterday."

Whatever Lucian had been about to say in response was cut off as the fighting spilled into the small cavern we stood in. Damn!

* * *

Lucian is resourceful enough that he probably escaped, and it is obvious that Michael will follow her to the end of the world. For now it is wonder, stability in a world that has been turned on its head, but the hybrid feels loyalty, and I doubt that it will take long before that loyalty deepens to love. No matter how much I dislike the idea.

Despite her regal, commanding air, Ilona was always something of a romantic, following her heart when it led her to love me, a vampire, even though many called it un-natural. Her daughter and grand-daughter inherited the latter two in spades, though I wish that they had been spared the former. Both had inherited my strong will and strategic, practical mind, but somehow, those traits went missing where the heart was concerned.

But in a way, perhaps that is a good thing. Reason would tell Selene to get as far away as possible and to never contact me again. Selene's heart would tell her to stay safe, but to keep in communication with the grandfather she had considered a parent, perhaps even to reach out to the man her mother had loved, if only to find out how to help Michael accustom himself to his new life. Selene and I always had a way of contacting each other in secret, if only for my peace of mind when she had gone on a mission.

* * *

There is nothing in this world that will end the conflict between Lycans and Vampires, but Lucian and I now have a common cause in protecting the daughter of the woman we both loved. Whatever excuse he comes up with, Selene and Michael will be safe from the Lycans.

Markus might be the first vampire, but I did not become an Elder by being soft. I commissioned William's Prison, but I never inspected it, or asked the location, and I had long ago convinced myself that there were safeguards in place to destroy the first Lycan if anything happened to me. Granted, that was nothing more than a carefully planned and staged conversation with a random underling, but if Markus managed to taste my blood, that is the memory he would see. Lucian still has the necklace that was the key, and Markus will obey my commands as long as I control his brother's fate.

Perhaps the fates were foolish to give one as old and powerful as I a daughter to love, and a grand-daughter who held an equal place in my heart. But they had, and I would love and protect her with everything in me, for as l exist on this earth.

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_A/N: Originally, I hadn't planned to continue past two chapters, but it looks like plans have changed. I don't know if I will do the last movie, but we'll see. I don't know if I am making Viktor sound too soft, because I can never seem to get him quite right, so I would love some feedback._

_Thanks_

_Nat_


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